


Open your eyes, Step into the light

by FamineArcher



Category: AR∀GO ロンドン市警特殊犯罪捜査官 | Arago, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Colo is a therapy doggo, Everyone loves Colo, Government Cover-Ups, Jesus Brionac let Arago heal right, M/M, Seth is free of Lia Fail, Skull is Arago, Vega is a good bro, medical inaccuracies handwaved by flames
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:41:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27940175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FamineArcher/pseuds/FamineArcher
Summary: What If Arago Hunt was undercover as a stuntman named Skull, and was selected for the Arcobaleno? How would theArcobaleno find out?
Relationships: Arago Hunt/Seth Stringer
Comments: 4
Kudos: 67





	1. Scars on the Inside

**Author's Note:**

> First real fic here. I just think Arago as a manga gets too little love and want to solve that problem. Also jumping on the Skull-is-X bandwagon.

The first hint of Skull not being what he seemed was how easily he accepted Flames. Ordinary civilians would have been shocked, and asked many more questions than he did. When pressed, all he would say is that he’d seen weirder.  


The second hint was how he reacted to fights. He didn’t scream and panic in battle, but broke bones and necks with cool precision. His excuse for that was that he grew up getting into fights.  


The third sign was that he talked to himself. Not just a little, no, he held conversations with thin air. He talked to something nobody else could see, calling it “Vega.” He changed the subject whenever anyone asked about it.  


The fourth hint was his apparent addiction to painkillers. He bought them and took them constantly. He carried a bottle with him at all times and took easily double the normal dose far more often than was recommended.  


The last straw came when he staggered downstairs, the others already being up, and puked in the sink. Lal made a face. “That’s nasty.”  


“Sorry.” He wiped his mouth. “Normally if I have a bad day and puke it happens in my bathroom, did not expect that.”  


Reborn, technically the medic, raised an eyebrow. “You throw up often?”  


“My insides are really beat up.” He deflected.  


A bullet went past his cheek. “Do you. Throw up. Often?”  


“Only when my body’s being a bitch.” The stuntman shrugged.  


“Define being a bitch.”  


“I have a lot of scars internally, on my muscle and bone and organs. On bad days everything hurts.” Skull winced, rubbing at his right shoulder. “Like today.”  


Verde stood. “Reborn?”  


“I’m with you. Lackey, come on.”  


Skull dutifully followed the pair to the laboratory.  


“Lay down here.”  


“If you’re gonna drug me, up the dose by 400%. I process painkillers and drugs really fast.”  


“That why you’re always popping pills?” Reborn asked.  


The stuntman grimaced. “Bingo.”  


Verde inserted an IV into the man’s right elbow. “This could anesthetize an elephant. Reborn, open him up.”  


Skull felt no pain as Reborn used a scalpel to cut him open. “Lackey, what the crispy fuck?!”  


Verde looked into Skull’s torso. “What in-how are you still functional!?”  


“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  


“We’re talking about the scar tissue which covers 80% of your organs!”  


“In that case, I’m used to it by now. The painkillers help.”  


Verde picked up his own scalpel. “Reborn, use your flames to regrow what we cut out.”  


“I know.”  


For a time there was no noise but the plopping of organ bits into a tray.  


The pair finished with Skull’s torso and Reborn sealed him back up. “On to your legs.”  


“Your bones are going to have to be removed altogether and regrown, and your muscles realigned. How did you do this to yourself?”  


“Yeah, fast healing? It doesn’t necessarily mean _accurate_ healing. I heal fast but if I don’t set my bones ASAP they heal crooked. Same goes for everything else.”  


“And the scars on your right arm?”  


“Leave those alone. They remind me of my brother.” The anesthetic was making Skull more loose-lipped than usual.  


Reborn cut into the right shoulder. “Your shoulder is a mess! It’s like your entire arm was put back on wrong!”  


“Not far from what happened.” Skull sighed.  


Once the scientist and medic had finished, Verde unhooked the IV and let Skull sit up. He blinked. “I still don’t hurt.”  


“That is the idea. Now you’re going to explain to everyone what the hell is up with you.”  


Verde hefted the large tray of organs and bones. “Let’s go.” The duo marched Skull back out to the common area. “Look what was stuck inside Skull!”  


The others had seen enough insides for them to process just how fucked-up Skull’s were, and reacted appropriately. “Jesus.” Lal whispered.  


What could be seen of Viper’s face was aghast. Luce was pale from horror and Fon was gaping.  


“Now, Lackey, explain.”  


Skull sighed heavily. “Fine.”


	2. explanations

The purple-clad man ran a hand through his hair. He knew this day would come eventually, but that didn’t make it any easier. Vega nudged into his side comfortingly.

“You don’t need to tell them, Master Arago. You can just leave.”

Arago shook his head. “Reborn would hunt me to the end of the Earth to find out.”

The skull frowned. “Do you want me to bite him?”

He laughed. “No, Vega. No biting.”

Reborn had lost his patience. “Quit talking to your imaginary friend and explain, now!”

“Vega’s not imaginary.” He grumbled, but relented. “I’ve always healed really fast.”

“Hence the “immortal” moniker?” Viper queried.

“What nobody seems to get is that just because I heal fast, doesn’t mean I heal right. My nose, see how it’s crooked? It healed sideways after it broke and I had to re-break it. The bones that healed wrong were the best I could do on short notice, and my organs got hurt a lot when I was younger.”

“Yes, but from what?” Luce asked, though he thought she knew already.

Arago grimaced, remembering the Horsemen and Patchman, all the fights he got into. “I’m not just a stuntman. I’m an undercover plainclothes officer from London’s Special Investigations department.” He admitted.

Two guns, a Mist-made collar of spikes, one of Verde’s inventions, and Fon’s fist all were aimed at him. “What is a cop doing with the Mafia?” Reborn snarled.

The officer remained calm, fighting the urge to laugh, as Vega was making rude faces behind the other Arcobaleno.

He took a breath. “Special Investigations deals with things that the ordinary civilian can’t know about. Things like Flames. I’m here to make sure none of you decide to go on a bloody rampage and cause another Gogmagog Incident.”

“Gogmagog Incident…wasn’t that a mass hallucination caused by a toxic gas leak a few years back in London?”

He shrugged. “That’s the public story, sure. Truth is far scarier and I’m not allowed to talk about it.”

Viper let the Mist collar vanish. “I’m betting it was some crazy Mist on Flame drugs.”

“We can go with that, yeah. I’m just here as an observer. I’m not even authorized to carry firearms.”

Fon snorted. “You don’t need them.”

“Yes, but those are the legalities that must be observed.”

The others scoffed. As Mafia, they thumbed their noses at the law.

Vega licked the back of Reborn’s head and cackled. Reborn whirled. “Did anyone else feel that?”

“Feel what?” Was the general consensus.

Arago laughed so hard he almost passed out. “That-ha! That was Vega.”

“Your imaginary friend?” Lal sneered.

“You can bite her, Vega.”

Lal leapt a foot in the air. Vega had chomped on her upper arm. “What the fuck!?”

“Vega’s real. I keep telling you guys.”

“You have an invisible friend.”

“He’s only invisible to you guys.”

“What next, you have a werewolf friend?” Verde said sarcastically.

Arago grinned sheepishly. “Actually…”

“Oh for fuck’s sake! I was JOKING!”

“Well my friend in the armed police does spend a significant amount of time as a wolf-woman.”

Verde groaned. “And do you know a fucking demon too?”

“He’s not technically a demon, but my boyfriend made a contract with one.”

The scientist slammed his head into the table. “What the actual fuck.” He said, completely done with the police officer.

“Are you...serious?” Viper ventured.

Arago looked them dead in the eyes. “Special Investigations does more than just Flame.”

Fon threw his hands in the air. “The supernatural is real. This is horrifying.”

“On the bright side, I have a leprechaun friend who’d love to meet Verde and compare notes.”

“A leprechaun?”

“Lepre’s a tinkerer. He’s made fake limbs before.”

“You’re not just fucking with us? This shit is real?” Reborn's gun was aimed at the purple-clad man.

“That was about my reaction when a monster killed my brother.” The man admitted.

“Ignoring that right there, what does this have to do with your healing?”

“I gained a power called Brionac when I was twenty. It gives me fast healing. Not accurate, but fast.” He explained. “It also gives me the Sight.”

“The Sight?”

“I can see the supernatural. Like Vega. He’s basically a ghost skull that hangs around and makes jokes.”

“I do more than make jokes! I also bite people for you!”

“I know, Vega. I’m grateful for it.”

“What did he say?” Fon asked curiously.

“That he bites people for me. Not wrong, I must admit.”

“Um, if you’re not a stuntman, is Skull your actual name?” Lal asked.

“Nope.”

Viper tilted their head. “What is your name, then?”

He pulled off a glove and ran his hand through his hair, aging the plant-based dye until it vanished. The silver hair he was born with was revealed, and he removed the purple contacts from his eyes. “Nice to meet you. I’m Arago Hunt.”


	3. Chapter 3

After his little revelation, Arago tried to avoid the others of the Strongest Seven. He only spent time with them on missions, and vanished when they were over. It was hard when Reborn kept trying to track him down and when the others spent time together and tried to include him. But he was good at avoiding people. 

He spent a lot of time with Seth those few years. More than normal, anyway. His boyfriend almost bodily forced him out of their apartment to read in peace and quiet one day. 

He sighed and looked at Vega. “What now?” 

“Can we visit Coco and Rio, Master?” 

“Fine, but no perving on them.” He fixed the skull with a stare. “Rio will kill you if you do.” 

Somehow, despite lacking a throat, the skull gulped audibly. “Yes Master.” 

“And stop calling me that!” 

The pair bickered over the nickname all the way to the apartment Rio and Coco shared. When they got there, Arago hesitated. Vega noticed and used his forehead to knock on the door. 

A barking noise was heard and Coco’s aura slammed full force into the man. He blinked away the sparkles just in time to catch Colo, who was jumping at him. 

“Yeah, yeah, I missed you too, mutt.” He grumbled, scratching the dog behind the ears. 

Rio poked her head out of the door. “Colo, stop-oh, it’s you!” She glared daggers at him. “What happened to coming and visiting often?!” 

“I know I’ve been a butt, but please hear me out.” He begged. 

Coco joined her friend at the door. “Senpai, come on in!” She chirped. 

“Coco, no, we have to make him feel bad first.” 

“Senpai never does anything without a reason. I think we need to hear it before we get mad.” 

Colo grabbed Arago by the shirt and dragged him inside. “Looks like Colo agrees with you.” He laughed. 

The girls sat him down on their couch and stared at him as Vega started messing around with Colo in the corner. “Explain.” Rio demanded. 

“You know how I was undercover with the Strongest Seven?” 

Two nods. 

“I had a bad day and the medic and scientist regrew basically my entire body so the inner scars didn’t hurt. Then they demanded explanations.” 

“So you don’t hurt anymore?” 

“Much less. Still ache on bad days, but it’s more of a dull pain. Anyway, they got the truth as simply as I could put it without spilling personal details. They know the supernatural is real, they know Vega exists, and they know I have a supernatural healing power.” 

Colo grew bored with Vega and ambled over to rest his chin on Arago’s knee. “But they don’t know how I got hurt in the first place, and I’m trying to avoid having to answer that question.” 

“So you’re avoiding them.” 

“Have been for a few years. Been hiding out with Seth.” 

“He kick you out?” Rio smirked. 

“He wanted some time alone to read. I get it, but now I have to hide from Reborn somewhere else that’s warded. Do you know anywhere?” 

Colo put his paws on Arago’s lap and leapt up to sleep with his head on the man’s legs. “Colo thinks you should stay here for a bit, apparently.” Rio drawled. 

Coco cheered up. “Oz is coming over for dinner tonight, so maybe he knows a place.” 

Arago paled. “Oz’s ideas tend to end in explosions.” 

“Only when they’re supposed to!” Coco replied. 

“He’s actually really smart, Arago. You just only really saw him in explosion-mode and hunting-mode.” 

“Fine.” The man gave in. “Anything to get Reborn off my back.” 

Someone knocked on the door. Colo raised his head and growled loudly. 

“That is my cue to hide.” Arago said nervously. 

He hid in the bathroom as Rio checked her gun and opened the door. 

It was Reborn.


	4. first meetings

The world’s greatest hitman examined the young woman who had answered the door. She was armed, he noted, with a pistol at her hip. She was conventionally attractive, with a definitely Eastern cast to her features. 

Behind her, he saw another young lady, this one more cute than attractive. She was trying to calm down a massive bloodhound, which was snarling at Reborn. 

He smiled winningly as Leon hid in his pocket from the dog. “Chaos. I was looking for an associate of mine. Do you happen to know where one Arago Hunt is?” 

“Senpai hasn’t seen us for a few years, actually.” The cute one said sadly. “He promised he’d visit, too.” 

“The idiot’s probably hiding in the British Museum. He likes it there since it’s a neutral ground for the Fae.” The Eastern one added. 

“You know about the supernatural?” He looked at them again. The Eastern one had lean muscle all over her body and a distinctly predatory glint in her eyes. “You must be the werewolf.” 

“Great. He told you about me?” 

“Just that you were a werewolf, after someone asked sarcastically if he knew any werewolves.” 

“He’s told us about you, too. Last time we saw Senpai, he mentioned that a hitman wouldn’t leave him alone.” The cute one said defiantly. “And he seemed so tired of running.” 

“I just have a few questions for him.” 

“We’ll pass on the message.” The werewolf snarled. “Now go back to your little group and tell them London is off limits.” 

“I just wish to do some sightseeing while I’m here.” Reborn said calmly. 

“Tell the Mafia that London and Britain are. Off. Limits. We have enough problems with the Fae and we don’t need your lot bumbling around and wrecking the delicate balance we’ve managed to preserve.” She retorted. “Stay off of the island and we’ll keep the more unsavory ones contained. Wreck our truces and you’ll find the Fae are vindictive and mischievous.” 

The hitman shrugged. “If you don’t know where Skull is, I don’t have a choice but to go looking myself.” He remarked. 

The Lackey burst out of another room. “I’m here! Leave the city alone, Reborn!” 

“Now now, Lackey, you don’t get to tell me what to do.” 

“No, but she does.” The purple-clad man jerked his chin at the werewolf. Reborn looked down in shock. There was a gun pressed to his chest, right over his heart. “Rio will shoot you if she has to.” 

The woman, Rio, pressed the gun down harder. “Leave the city, mister “Reborn,” and we won’t send the gremlins after you. They like to take apart guns. And they’re also adept at taking apart other machines. We’ll send them after your scientist and see how long it takes for something to go wrong and explode.” 

The threat startled the hitman, who thought the Lackey had at least some affection for the others of the Strongest Seven. “Lackey, you’d let that happen?” 

“Listen, Reborn, the truces are more important than you know. Thousands of people, innocent civilians, could die if these truces are broken. People who spend money that the Italian Mafia gets. At the worst, the whole of Europe could be destroyed.” 

The hitman sighed. “If you come with me to make the others calm down, I won’t do anything here.” He promised, Leon curled around his wrist. 

“Fine. But I’m not staying.” 

“Just a visit, then.” Reborn sighed. “Come on.” 

Skull-no, his name was Arago-looked at the girls. “Tell Oz hi from me. Sorry I can’t make it to dinner.” 

The cute woman let the dog go, and it growled loudly at Reborn. “Colo’s a good judge of character.” She remarked. 

“I guess he can smell the blood on you.” Arago snorted. 

“Just come on, Lackey.” 

He felt something cold near his arm. 

“No, Vega, don’t bite him.” The ex-stuntman said wearily. The werewolf and the other girl laughed. 

“If something bites me I start shooting.” Reborn warned. 

The cold presence vanished. 

Reborn dragged the Lackey to the car he’d rented and drove to the airport, careful not to do anything too outrageous.


	5. Chapter 5

What Arago expected when he arrived at the Arcobaleno mansion was for everyone to be waiting to ambush him. What he got was everyone sitting around the table and staring. That was somehow worse. Even Luce was giving him a Look. 

“Uh, hi?” He managed. 

“Why were you avoiding us?” Luce asked the question on everyone’s mind. 

“You have awkward questions and I don't want to answer them.” 

“And so you avoid us for two years. Is that really your idea of a solution?” Viper deadpanned. 

He shrugged. “It worked until Reborn threatened to bumble around and destroy all the truces I helped set up.” 

“Truces?” Everyone looked confused. 

“With the Fae, the supernatural. London’s the hotspot for that kind of activity and there are dozens of truces and unwritten rules in place to keep the city safe.” 

Verde raised an eyebrow. “You helped write some?” 

“I have the Sight and am friends with a few of the Fae, which made me more qualified than most. Plus there was the Gogmagog Incident, which I helped clean up.” 

“And Reborn did what?” 

“He threatened my friends that if they didn’t know where I was he’d have to go looking for me himself. Since Flame Actives and the supernatural tend not to go well together, myself notwithstanding, his presence alone might incite violence.” 

Luce leveled a Look at Reborn. “Hey, you wanted the Lackey here!” He defended himself. 

“Why did you guys want me anyway?” Arago wondered. 

“We’re not the Strongest Seven if there are only six of us. And our reputation suffers if we’re not all here.” Fon explained. “I won’t ask any questions about your past, so please, we want you to stay.” 

The others were nodding along. Viper spoke up. “I might ask questions.” 

“Well I’ll not be answering them.” The Brit replied. 

“That’s fair.” The Mist muttered. 

Arago took out his phone and called Seth. 

_“Hello?”_

“Hey Seth. I’m gonna be returning to the Strongest Seven, so I won’t be back for a while.” 

_“I figured this might happen. Our place is always open, and come visit the girls more often.”_

“Yeah, they gave me hell for not visiting.” 

_“You deserved it.”_

“Ouch. I thought you were supposed to be on my side.” 

_“Not when you’re being an idiot.”_

“Damn. I’ll see you when I can.” 

_“Yeah. Love you.”_

“Love you.” The man hung up. 

The other six were staring again. “What was that?” 

“That was me letting my boyfriend know I won’t be returning home for some time.” 

Verde furrowed his brow. “The one who made a contract with a demon?” 

“That’s Seth. He was in a really bad place at the time, to be fair. Anyway, what’s for dinner?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this it's gonna be a bunch of oneshots about Arago's time with the Arcobaleno pre-, during-, and post-curse.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fon and Arago have a conversation about the Fae

Fon ran into Arago placing a bowl of milk and honey at the doorstep. 

“What’s that for?” 

“It’s an offering for the Fae so they don’t curse the house or play tricks.” 

“Curse the house. They would do that?” 

The silverette shrugged lazily. “The petty ones, sure. Don’t you know anything about the Fae?” 

“I’m from China.” 

“Ah. The really petty Fae look for excuses to curse people and cause mischief.” 

Fon sat down on the doorstep. “What kind of curse?” 

Arago sat next to him. “Depends, really.” 

“On what?” 

“What kind of Fae it is, how angry they are, that sort of thing. The worst we’d get for not leaving offerings would be that we’d trip over things more often or have small trinkets go missing. If we actively offended them, things could get bad.” 

“And by bad, you mean…” 

“Verde’s inventions would be taken apart and rigged to blow. Reborn would wake up bald and with his missing hair used to tie him to the bed, with Leon tied up far enough he couldn’t reach him and all his guns missing key components. They’d leave Luce alone, since she’s pregnant and a Seer. Viper would go bankrupt. Lal would be completely humiliated in front of her boss in some way or another. You would probably end up with broken fingers. This is at minimum.” 

Fon gulped. “How do we avoid making the Fae mad?” 

“They’re big on politeness. Be polite to everyone you meet and there won’t be any problems in the first place. Don’t cut people off, curse people out, or otherwise be rude without a good reason. If you have a reputation of politeness among the Fae, they’ll ignore you more than they’ll prank you. I have a reputation among the Fae for doing odd jobs and such, so I don’t have to worry. Reborn, on the other hand…” 

The martial artist laughed. “He’s going to end up cursed, isn’t he?” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been cursed before and didn’t realize it.” Arago snorted. “He’d probably chalk it up to bad luck if he did notice anything. He and you can’t see or hear the Fae unless they’re in human guise.” 

“Is there a way to let me see them?” Fon asked curiously. 

“There is. You sure you want that, though?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“If you can see them, they can mess with you more. It’s your blindness that keeps you safe from them.” Arago explained. 

“I’ll retract my request, then.” He said calmly. “That seems safer.” 

“It is.” 

“How did you get to see them, if I might ask?” 

“My power for healing, Brionac, gave me the Sight and the ability to see auras.” 

Fon blinked. “Auras?” 

“A supernaturally-visible interpretation of a person and their emotional state.” 

“What is mine like?” 

“Water. You’re like water, with red edges and a burning heart.” 

“And the others?” 

“Viper is, funnily enough, a cloud of fog with a steady purple glow within. Luce is like a cloudless day, with the sun at her core. Reborn looks like blood circling a golden glow. Lal is like a storm cloud, thick and gray with flashes of blue lightning. And Verde is a bunch of clockwork gears all ticking away with a green light behind them.” 

Fon nodded. “Seems fairly accurate to me.” 

“I can get a sense of how people feel, too. Caught a murderer that way once.” 

“Useful.” Fon commented. 

“How much do you want to bet that Reborn gets cursed before anyone else?” 

“Sucker’s bet.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Reborn gets cursed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like taking Reborn down a peg. Can you tell?

Reborn shoved his way through a crowd, knocking people aside and over, to reach the hotel’s counter. He had a hit in the next building over and had reserved a room specifically for the occasion. 

He heard people cursing at him, but that was normal for him. He paid it no mind, even when an old woman muttered in another language. 

On the way up the stairs, he had to dodge a clumsy janitor’s mop and bucket, then side-step a pair of wrestling kids. Again, not unusual. 

While on the hit, his sniper rifle jammed. That was more unusual, since he kept his tools in perfect condition, but since he had Leon he finished the hit anyway. 

As he headed back to the Strongest Seven’s mansion, he was, in order; almost hit by a car twice, caught in the water sprayed up by a passing car five times, chased by an angry pitbull, pissed on by a Golden Retriever, shot in the arm in a gang dispute, and knocked into a mud puddle by passerby. 

At the mansion, the door opened and hit him in the face before he could open it. He swore loudly. 

The other six stared at his bedraggled appearance in shock. 

“Damn, what the hell happened to you?” Lal whistled. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He muttered. 

Their Fae expert snorted. “Hey Fon, remember that conversation a few days ago?” 

“The one where you suggested Reborn would get cursed before the rest of us?” 

“I was right.” 

“Pardon?” Reborn interrupted. 

“You’ve been cursed, Reborn. A major bad-luck curse.” The detective explained. 

Reborn knew something was wrong! He was never clumsy enough to let this kind of thing happen. “I made some people angry in the hotel lobby, but that’s normal.” He defended. 

“Did anyone say something in another language?” 

“A lot of people.” 

“Did anyone say the word “mallacht” to you?” 

He thought back. “Some old lady said something similar to that. Something like “curim mallat ort” or similar.” 

Arago smirked. “Congratulations, you’ve pissed off a Faerie. And it’s pronounced cuirim mallacht ort, actually.” 

“How do I FIX it, Lackey?” 

“It’ll go away on its own. Just give it a few days. And try to avoid Verde’s lab.” 

“Why?” Verde asked. 

“I caught a gremlin in there a bit ago and bad luck does not go well with gremlins. Also you should probably check your inventions to make sure everything is where it should be.” 

“I can’t live like this for a few days!” Reborn protested. 

“Relax, it’s not a fatal curse. You’re still alive, aren’t you?” 

“I was SHOT!” 

“Non-lethally.” Lal pointed out. “And you’re a Sun, you can heal it.” 

Reborn groaned. 

Arago shrugged. “Leave milk and honey outside your door for the next few days and it’ll be over faster. Some good bread would help too.” 

“What is this, some mythical-” Reborn stopped, because yes, it was. “Fine. Milk, honey, and bread it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not expect this frenetic pace of updates to last long. Finals are next week and I burn out easily. Also, thank you for the kudos! Did not expect this kind of feedback!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Fon meets Seth

The Seven were in London for a job that had just been completed. Arago had given them all instructions on what not to do and let them loose, saying he had a meeting.  


Fon was following Arago, curious as to where the man went without the others. He tracked the man through the residential areas and into a dingy area of town.  


The silverette, and Fon behind him, entered an old apartment building. Arago stopped. “Fon, if you wanted to know where I’m going, you could’ve just asked.”  


The martial artist revealed himself. “Would you have answered?”  


“I...would not have, no.”  


“And that’s why I followed you. Where is this place?”  


Arago unlocked a door in the hallway. “My apartment.”  


Fon entered behind the man, looking around curiously. The apartment was furnished simply, with little decoration.  


The couch was old and worn, there were what looked like old bloodstains on the floor, and a young man was reading a book in a faded armchair.  


“You brought company?” The man looked up, revealing a chunk missing from his left ear. “That’s rare. You’re normally the less social between the two of us.”  


“Seth, don’t embarrass me in front of my coworker!” Arago whined.  


“Coworker? One of the Strongest Seven?” Seth put down the book he held. “You brought one home?”  


“He followed me here.” The other man shrugged. “I told him nothing.”  


Fon bowed. “I am Fon. It is a pleasure to meet you.”  


“Seth. Same. So you’re the...Storm, right?”  


The martial artist blinked. Had Arago been giving away their secrets to a civilian? He looked at the Cloud accusingly.  


“He can’t help it. He likes you guys enough to talk about you.” Seth said. “And I’m a huge fan of anyone who keeps this idiot from being stupid.”  


“He tried to pass off throwing up, did you know?” Fon said conspiratorially. “In front of all of us.”  


“He what.” The man looked at Arago. “You didn’t!”  


Arago flushed. “How was I supposed to know they’d care so much about it?”  


“God, grant me strength.” Seth looked to the heavens beseechingly. “The strength to deal with this...this moron.”  


“Number one, you know you love me, and number two, shouldn’t you, as a contractor of a demon, not pray to God?”  


“That first one’s debateable.” Seth smiled to soften the blow. “And I’ve never had a problem with it before.”  


Fon was confused. “Demon?”  


“I made a contract with a demon called Orc when I was younger and in a bad place. Got supernatural powers out of the deal.” He shrugged. “It was a while ago.”  


“I...see.” Fon did not see. “Are you two...you know?”  


“An item?” Seth suggested.  


Fon nodded.  


“Yep.” Arago called from the kitchen, where he was looking for something. “Seth, where’re my candy bars?”  


“You finished them last time you were here. Is Brionac being picky again?”  


The Cloud walked over. “Brionac’s always picky.”  


Seth looked at Fon. Fon was very confused. Seth sighed. “His power ages things when he touches them. That’s why he keeps himself covered head to toe. It makes it hard for him to eat things unless there’s a lot of preservatives or salt in them.”  


Arago held up a pack of beef jerky. “This is a gamble. Meat is never safe fresh, and there’s only a small amount of preservatives in this.” He took a bite and spat it out. It had rotted while it was in his mouth. “And this is why I don’t eat in front of the others.”  


He took a salt shaker and poured salt all over the jerky. “Salt is also a preservative.” He took a salty bite and chewed. This time, he swallowed it.  


Fon grimaced. “I feel rather bad for you, now.”  


“Don’t. I deal with it. And don’t tell Reborn or the others.”  


“It’s not their business.”  


“Thank you.” Arago took another bite of the over-salted jerky.  


Fon and Seth got along splendidly after that, talking about their favorite poets.  


When it came time to leave, Seth called out “You’re welcome here any time, Fon.”  


Arago nodded. “You are.”  


“I appreciate it.”  


The Cloud and Storm returned to the others, not breathing a word of what had gone on between them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one details the immediate aftermath of the curse.

When the pain wore off, the now babified Arcobaleno stared at each other in shock.

“What the hell?” Reborn cried out in a higher-pitched voice.

Arago inspected himself. All his scars were still there, and looked far worse on a baby’s body than on his grown one. He still ached, but it was, as was the new normal, manageable.

“We’ve been cursed.” He told the others. “Feels like some kind of power-drainer.”

Luce nodded. She explained the concept of the Arcobaleno, and the necessity of their creation.

Arago understood, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. He followed the others back to the manse where they lived, with one of his gloves used as clothing.

“How are we going to get clothes?” The new one, who’d protected Lal, asked.

Viper used their Mist Flame to make themself look like an adult. “Any specific requests?”

The policeman raised a hand. “Gloves, if possible.”

After taking requests from the others, Viper left.

“So, new guy, what’s your deal?” Arago asked.

The blond, Colonello, explained that he was one of Lal’s recruits and had tracked her down to the area, and then he sighed. “They teach you in Basic, always protect the superior officer. So I did.”

Vega was laughing his ass off at Arago’s current state. “Vega, I swear to all the gods if you don’t shut up I’ll punt you three decades into the future!”

Luce, who was able to see Vega since she was a Seer, patted his shoulder. “He’ll calm down soon.”

And true enough, he did. “Sorry Master, but you’re just so CUTE!”

“I’m not cute.” He sulked.

Colonello looked confused. “Who are you talking to?”

Arago sighed. He explained that he could see things others couldn’t, and that he was talking to one of them.

Reborn nodded. “Don’t doubt him, kid. He can prove it.”

“Oh-kay…”

Fon looked at the furniture. “This might be a struggle.” He managed to say as he climbed up the couch.

Viper returned with clothes for everyone.

They’d even found little baby gloves for Arago and somehow a suit for Reborn.

“Thank you.”

“Why d’you need the gloves so bad?” Lal asked.

“Without them I burn people on skin contact. Side effect of my healing power.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“So basically I have a lot of healing energy in my body and on it, but if you put too much life into something it ages or burns.” He explained simply. “I could probably kill someone like that, but it would take too long.”

Verde noted the information down on a paper he’d somehow procured. “Interesting.”


End file.
